Cancelled train - ticket not accepted on alt route

powerful_Rogue

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

When LNER said the ticket wasn't valid, you should have contacted Avanti and seen what they suggested.

Terz

powerful_Rogue said:

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

When LNER said the ticket wasn't valid, you should have contacted Avanti and seen what they suggested.

Avanti had been crystal clear they weren't providing any service and that everyone must leave the station. I heard them tell someone who had turned up at Euston for info that they shouldn't have done that but that the phone lines were disconnecting the majority of calls due to being so overwhelmed which was why this guy had just gone to the station.  Without being able to get through on the phone my only option would have been to turn round and get another taxi back to Euston then another one back to Kings X by which time I'd likely have missed the last train (6pm)

Terz

amanda1024 said:

From Avanti’s website:

“Under the Consumer Rights Act, you may be able to claim extra compensation if you incur costs as a result of our failure to provide the expected service. 

If you think this applies to you, please get in touch with our Customer Resolutions Centre and tell us what happened so we can look into it. We examine each claim on a case-by-case basis and aim to get back to you within 20 working days.”

This sounds like a situation where you’d *potentially* have a case so I’d suggest contacting them on the link above and explaining everything that happened, including what you were told by Avanti staff and receipts from the extra tickets you had to buy.

Thank you - that sounds hopeful and I'll follow through on that link.  I kept all receipts and took notes once I was finally on the train of all the conversations I'd had.  Clearly not guaranteed but it gives me hope at least.

powerful_Rogue

Terz said:

powerful_Rogue said:

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

When LNER said the ticket wasn't valid, you should have contacted Avanti and seen what they suggested.

Avanti had been crystal clear they weren't providing any service and that everyone must leave the station. I heard them tell someone who had turned up at Euston for info that they shouldn't have done that but that the phone lines were disconnecting the majority of calls due to being so overwhelmed which was why this guy had just gone to the station.  Without being able to get through on the phone my only option would have been to turn round and get another taxi back to Euston then another one back to Kings X by which time I'd likely have missed the last train (6pm)

Hindsight is a great thing, but I would have just continued to call, live chat etc. They might not have been providing a service, but could have advised of your next actions as LNER was not accepting the ticket.

user1977

I don't think they have any legal obligation to do more than give you a refund, if the train is (effectively) cancelled at the start of the journey (though I can see the false start might complicate things a bit). Different if you have started your journey and e.g. everyone has to get out at Oxenholme.

Skiddaw1

@Terz may I suggest you post your query on RailUKForums? Here's a link to the relative sub-forum. They're expert on this sort of thing and will be able to advise you.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/forums/disputes-prosecutions.152/

HillStreetBlues

Considering most trains from Euston were cancelled I do wonder how many staff some people think Avanti have manning phones and live chat!

lincroft1710

Terz said:

lincroft1710 said:

Terz said:

Mark_d said:

Avanti should give you a full refund for the cancelled service.  That's the end of their responsibility.  I don't think it can reasonably be expected that they'll additionally pay for a replacement journey.

I don't expect to travel for free - I do expect my extra cost to be covered though.  As I mentioned in my other reply I booked a couple of months in advance and ended up paying last minute prices. It's quite a jump in cost.  Especially as some people didn't pay a penny extra and were even provided with a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Glasgow I would expect Avanti to do something for me.

I was also told at both Euston and Kings X that if I hadn't been able to travel home same day that Avanti would have been required to put me in a hotel at their cost.  This info came from station staff at both stations, Avanti staff and LNER staff.

If they do that why wouldn't they cover my extra cost to get home same day which was much cheaper than any London hotel?

As you chose not to use the alternatives Avanti were able to provide, I think you will find they have no liability for the extra costs you incurred in making your own way home.

I'm not sure where you get the idea I chose not to use the alternatives Avanti provided!  

I did exactly as Avanti told me to. They were explicit that they were not providing any service themselves and that I should make my way to Kings X and take a train to Edinburgh then on to Glasgow from there.  Nothing I did was not what they suggested except I didn't walk or take the underground from Euston to Kings X but took a taxi instead.

You said in a previous post that Avanti would have provided overnight accom if a passenger couldn't travel on the same day plus the free bus service from Edinburgh to Glasgow, so I inferred that these were what Avanti were offering but you chose to travel with another train operator

born_again

HillStreetBlues said:

Considering most trains from Euston were cancelled I do wonder how many staff some people think Avanti have manning phones and live chat!

At aa guess the same as they normally do. It's not like you can pluck people of the street or other area's to man them, or might even be a issue that they do not have enough physical capacity for more calls.

powerful_Rogue

HillStreetBlues said:

Considering most trains from Euston were cancelled I do wonder how many staff some people think Avanti have manning phones and live chat!

The same as they usually have, if not more. Very similar to Eurostar at the moment.